Two leading proponents of net neutrality, believe the push for net neutrality is akin to FDR's pushing for the "New Deal," which was the penultimate Big Government, wealth redistribution effort in U.S. history.
We learn this candid admission of true beliefs from the Washington Post, which today lionized Ben Scott, the amiable leader of activist organization Free Press, in an article entitled: "Net Neutrality's Quiet Crusader."
- "Scott's kindred spirit at the FCC might be Democratic commissioner Michael J. Copps, also a student of history who recently read a biography on Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Scott and Copps recently bonded over the book, drawing comparisons between the New Deal and net neutrality."
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""There have been policy moments in the past when the market has been shaped by decisions made in Washington -- radio in the 1930s, television in the 1950s and cable in the 1980s. That moment is now for the Internet," said Scott..."
Let's review the history here that Mr. Scott waxes nostalgically about. Radio in 1930's, TV in the 1950's, and cable in the 1980's -- was about Washington "shaping them market" by regulating these technologies and businesses much more than they were before.
- If "that moment is now for the Internet," doesn't it follow that Mr. Scott and other net neutrality activists vision for the Internet is for the Government to 'shape the market" and regulate it more than it is now?
Given that House Telecom Chairman Ed Markey lavished praise on Mr. Scott: "Ben has exquisite political judgment and is a key player in net neutrality and wireless issues because he represents a new, grass-roots dynamic in the battle against media concentration and the communications colossus," -- you can see why I am so dubious about Chairman Markey's claim that his new net neutrality bill: "contains no requirements for regulation of the Internet, whatsoever."
- Please see my one-pager which debunks this claim: "Why the Markey Net Neutrality Bill Would Regulate the Internet."
- The real purpose behind the Markey Bill is to change U.S. policy for the Internet from a "free market... unfettered by Federal and State regulation" to a much more regulation-centric Internet policy: "promote the open and inter-connected nature of broadband networks".
Net Neutrality activists have assiduously masked their real "New Deal" Big government agenda for regulating the Internet behind the disciplined messaging of "neutrality," "non-discrimination," "Internet freedom" and "openness."
The reason they are so deceptive in masking their true vision for the Internet -- is that they know that if they were upfront and truly "open" with their real political agenda and vision for the Internet, they would lose, not gain political support.
- Their true political agenda is a very-New-Deal-like "Saving the Information Commons" policy agenda, which maintains that all Internet infrastructure and digital content should be public commons, not private property.
- The true political philosophy behind the Net neutrality, wireless open access and White Spaces issues, is one of Government effectively nationalizing competitive businesses through regulation in order to redistribute wealth and Internet access and also to "shape the market" for their political purposes.
Bottom line:
Don't be fooled with the sheeps clothing that tries to mask the Big Government regulatory wolf behind the "Information Commons" agenda.
- Mr. Scott and Commissioner Copps' candor with the Washington Post about how they see net neutrality like FDR's "New Deal" -- provides a helpful window into the real political agenda at play here.
